Release: Robertson Puts Extreme Ideology Before Jobs

Posted: March 13, 2014

Corning – With hundreds of jobs and Lansing’s property tax base on the line, Tom Reed’s campaign today called on Martha Robertson to put jobs before extreme liberal ideologies and support the repowering of Cayuga Power Plant.

Repowering the Cayuga plant will keep permanent, high skilled jobs in the community while creating up to 563 jobs. Additionally, the plant contributes nearly 11 percent of the school district tax base and seven percent in the town tax base. Estimates show the average Lansing homeowner will immediately pay an additional $570 in taxes if the plant is closed. What’s more, hundreds of manufacturing jobs around the region hang in the balance pending the repowering of the Cayuga plant.

"I work everyday to bring jobs to Western New York,” said Reed. “This is a win-win for the community and local economy. We have the ability to repower to a cleaner energy source, improve our regional and system reliability while diverting the disastrous influence a closure would have on the Lansing Community and Tompkins County.”

In contrast, spokeswoman Katherine Pudwill offered: "Martha Robertson is ignoring a potential disaster in her own back yard because her liberal ideologies will always come before jobs. The people of Lansing will face higher taxes and drastic negative impacts to local school programs. This is really no surprise coming from Martha Robertson who has consistently voted to raise taxes and increase spending in Tompkins County. Tom has twice reached out directly to Martha on this issue, and she has rejected the idea of coming together to solve the problem. Tom Reed is willing to stand up for these jobs and the future of the community, the question is, why isn’t Martha Robertson?”